SEATTLE -- She lives in a beautiful waterfront home on Seattles Lake Washington. Yet, she's on welfare assistance.

This week federal agents moved in to put a stop to it. They raided her south Lake Washington home armed with a search warrant.

KING 5 News is not naming the woman or her husband because they have not been criminally charged.

Search warrant documents unsealed Friday in federal court reveal that she received more than $1,200 a month in public housing vouchers, plus monthly cash from the federal and state government for a disability, as well as food stamps.

Property records show the woman lives in a 2,500 square-foot home, with gardens and a boat dock, that is valued at $1.2 million.

Records show she has received welfare benefits while living in the plush home since 2003. Records also show she truthfully provided her address when she applied for benefits.

How could the government allow housing subsidy dollars to someone who openly lives in one of Seattles most desirable neighborhoods?

A federal official spoke to KING 5 News on condition of anonymity. He says the housing voucher program provides coupons that help low-income people pay their rent. He says it allows people to get out of housing projects and move into the place of their choosing. However, he says a flaw is that the program doesnt analyze where people are living, even if it is at a ritzy address that should raise a red flag.

Court records show the couple gave money to charities and traveled around the world to exotic places like Turkey, Tel Aviv and resort towns in Mexico.

This contract, entered into on (date) and expiring on (18 months from implementation date) by the (state agency) and applicant(s) listed herein (must submit names of applicant and children born to her via birth records),allows for the provision of food,housing allowance,child care and education for the purposes of job placement during the contract period,and is understood by all parties concerned that the provision of aforementioned assistance is on a one-time basis,not to be repeated or reinstated at any time for any reason between the applicant(s) and the agency named herein,and is for the aforementioned time period only,and can only be implemented following presentation of documents proving legal citizenship status and a drug screening process,both of which are to be conducted by the agency.

Once legal citizenship status and drug screen results are known by the agency and the applicant and found to be favorable,this contract can then be implemented.The following covenants hereby apply and are agreed upon by both the named agency herein and the applicant(s) seeking assistance (failure of any one of these covenants will be considered a contract breach on the part of the applicant,and will result in immediate termination of the contract;assistance will be terminated immediately and can never be reinstated at any time in the future for any reason:

Applicant MUST disclose the name(s) of the absent parent of applicant’s child/children so that an attempt to obtain monetary support for those children can be made through DNA analysis. Failure to disclose the absent parent’s name will result in automatic immediate cessation of benefits.

applicant will submit to random home visits which will be unannounced and will occur during the 5-day work week,normally during the early afternoon hours;

applicant will submit to random drug testing as directed by the agency;

applicant must not conceive,adopt (formally or informally,including family members,immediate or extended) marry or cohabitate during the contract period;

applicant must attend a one-year vocational program via a voucher provided by the agency;applicant must attend each class ( two absences will be allowed during the contract period and a doctor’s note must be submitted upon returning to class for each absence) and a transportation voucher will be provided by the agency for transportation during class hours;child care will be provided by the agency during class hours only.

Once applicant graduates from vocational training, a two-month job-placement period will commence,with child care provided by the agency; Upon applicant’s employment,there will be an additional 4 months of ongoing assistance to allow applicant enough time to establish themselves in their occupation and to make child-care arrangements for after the contract period.

Once this contract has reached its expiration date,the assistance provided,all provisions and covenants and financial considerations as well,will cease and terminate permanently.The applicant is barred from any and all future assistance.

I,________________ hereby agree to adhere to all covenants,rules,etc of this contract. I realize and fully understand that I am bound by this contract in order to receive assistance in any form,and that any violation or breach will result in my not receiving any form of assistance any further. I agree further that this contract was fully explained to me by the agency caseworker and that I will fully comply. (sign & date here)____________________________

Agency hereby agrees to and will implement to the best of its ability and obligations,all covenants of this contract.

(agency sign & date)_______________________

6
posted on 12/03/2011 7:02:52 PM PST
by gimme1ibertee
("Criticism......brings attention to an unhealthy state of things"-Winston Churchill)

Maybe she was running out of time to meet with the rest of the board, couldn’t get to her bank soon enough, and stopped by the welfare office, instead. Seeing who she was, they just gave her the vouchers, cards, etc.

Whoa... after reading this, I started thinking, “Hey, wait a minute...” Two people living together, maybe have kids together, but aren’t married. Couldn’t a “stay at home” mom technically apply for welfare? She’s not bringing in any income, right?

People in TX have been taking advantage of a obscure law called adverse possion, which gives squatters the right to purchase the house they have been staying it for $16. There are a lot of empty bank owned homes that are potential targets. Sheriffs and their deputies have increased efforts to roust these low lifes and arrest them for trespassing (and anything else they can stick them with.

Day in and day out people say for their food with food stamps, & then they are able to buy beer, cigarettes, food for their pets, etc. No wonder they can also live in great houses.

They also have ATVs, snowmobiles, boats, huge pole barns and spendy vehicles. They see the latest movies and fuel money for the vehicles seems to be no problem.

The powers that be in their infinite wisdom seem to be incapable of policing exactly who is truly "disabled" or "entitled." There are people truly needy, but lawyers and the government have partnered up to include everyone so that no one is stigmatized except the taxpayer who is fleeced for every penny of it including government salaries and legal fees.

If they can do it for OSHA fraud, why not welfare and disability income fraud???????

It doesn’t say how old she was, whether its financed by a mortgage or paid for and whether she reported all her income to the government. Only if she concealed income would it be a matter for criminal charges to be laid and that would be for not paying taxes on it. Food stamps don’t qualify as income.

Living in a high end neighborhood is not exactly a crime. If she bought the home with public housing vouchers - and truthfully reported where she was living, the feds and state government don’t have a legal leg to stand on. If it was legal to buy her home and no one objected, they can’t say she broke the rules now.

hey my sil married to my bil BOTH got themselves on Ss disability....they got their precious handicapped parking pass...they get their meds paid for in part...they even have a friend who brings them "extra" food bank stuffs, like they need it....

they travel...gamble...infact my bil plays poker every single day...

they own two homes, an extra lot, 10 acres in the country, and TWO sports cars.... along with their regular vehicles...

People in TX have been taking advantage of a obscure law called adverse possion, which gives squatters the right to purchase the house they have been staying it for $16.

Wow. Can you give more information about that?

I'm not a lawyer, but I do have experience with adverse possession law in another state (not TX).

Adverse possession requires use and possession of the property for a long time, ranging from 5 yrs - 25+ yrs depending on the state.

Additionally state laws that I'm aware of have other conditions that must be met, before title to property can be transferred under adverse possession doctrine. I.e. you cannot get a "right" to the property simply by squatting for a few weeks or months. You also get no right to it if you're paying rent and/or have permission of the owner.

An older man, likely, maybe a widower. They probably use his funds to jet off to Tel Aviv, etc. Maybe they do not technically cohabit (which presumably would be disallowed by the terms of the state assistance?).

The article says she gets "disability" income. If she has no other income and no assets I guess she qualifies for food stamps.

What is harder to understand is how the state is willing to pay $1200 in "housing vouchers" for a single(?) woman. Is $1200 a typical rent for one person in WA state?

Again, wrong target is set up to shoot at. If the gov wants to give you money, why turn it down (not my feelings, but feeling of most I fear). The target should be the person who LET THIS HAPPEN. Some bureaucrat in some office wasn’t doing their job ... they should be fired and fined for the money that went to these people, jail time and fines would have a way of keeping it from happening again, and again and again as is the case now. Time to start going after the ROOT CAUSES of these kinds of problems in society, not the “results” as set up in media headlines.

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